Facet disease surgery may be an option for patients who are not responding to traditional facet disease treatment like analgesics, physical therapy, rest or osteopathic manipulations — or for those patients whose facet joints have developed bone spurs (osteophytes). If your pain is limiting your ability to walk, work, play sports, or perform daily activities, it may be time for facet disease surgery.
Facet thermal ablation is one type of facet disease surgery available to treat degenerative facet joints, facet arthritis, facet disease, facet joint syndrome and facet hypertrophy. To learn more about these conditions, their causes, and treatment options, visit our facet disease overview page.
During the minimally invasive procedure offered by Laser Spine Institute, an IV sedation and local anesthetic is administered. Next, a surgeon makes a small incision and inserts a tube containing both irrigation and a laser. These tools clean the facet joint and then deaden its nerve, similar to a root canal. This surgery is an outpatient procedure that takes approximately 40 minutes, and the patient is typically free to go home after 1-2 hours of monitoring. A post-operative visit is scheduled with the patient for the following day. For other treatment alternatives, review our facet disease treatments page.
LSI’s facet thermal ablation:
- Is minimally invasive
- Requires no hospitalization
- Eliminates the need for fusion surgery
- Has a short recuperation time
- Enables a quick return to normal activities
- Has been very successful at resolving pain associated with the facet joint
If you’ve been told you’re a candidate for facet disease surgery, you may want to contact Laser Spine Institute about our minimally invasive facet thermal ablation procedure. Offering a quicker recuperation period and higher success rate than other treatments like open-back surgery, Laser Spine Institute can have you out and about in no time. Contact us today for a free MRI or CT scan review and to learn more information about our state-of-the-art facilities.
